Wednesday, October 22, 2008

I must admit getting a big buzz digging thru some old Marvel comics and looking back on two of my boyhood reads, Luke Cage, Power Man and The Fantastic Four.

You may get the impression from my blog that i hate superheroes, but i don't, i just hate what most writers/publishers have done with them, which is take them far too seriously(and ironically making them seem even more ridiculous). A dark and glum world with no place for bright yellow shirts and wing-tipped collars!

Superheroes in the real world? Who cares! The world is scary and depressing enuff, i don't want to read about Captain America fighting in Iraq(i don't even want to read about REAL soldiers fighting in Iraq). I like a generous serving of escapism with my comics, i like the writer to impress me with his imagination, take me someplace that's new, and give me a fun trip for my money.

Ditch the leathers! Embrace the primaries!

Meanwhile, over on eBay... the black and white originals are up for auction. Click on the link to your upper right. And I'm also selling another buncha Albion pages, £45 each, price includes postage - and both the covers i did for the Accent UK anthologies; Monsters and Zombies, for£55.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

A quick sketch of the 'Clown Prince of Crime', which I'd like to offer as a small tribute to the memory of Neal Hefti; jazz musician and composer, who died on Wednesday. Among many things, he gave us the iconic theme tune to TV's Batman.

A tune that instantly takes me back to a happier life and a better world.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Describing my BICS2008 is best summed up as trying to pour 3 pints of Guinness into an eggcup - bloody frustrating!

I didn't make the Friday launch party, still had the lurgy, and a deadline to meet. We set out early Saturday. Never visited the Think Tank before, told it was easy to find, so the fella who promised 'less than five minutes' walk from the train station, turned out to be a BIG FAT LYING BASTARD!

Or maybe i was trippin on Max Strength Flu Plus, i had exceeded my limit.

Anyway, i wandered around, said a quick 'ullo' to a few familiar faces then went looking for the toilet. Walking past the open door to the Theatre i spied my very good chum Mark Fables Buckingham, standing next to BICS 2008 organizer, comic artist and nice bloke, James Hodgkins. Then i spotted the microphone in James hand, then next second i was the 'special guest' at the 'Comic Artists Flip Out'.

So, desperate for a piss, dazed and confused, I'm standing in front of a BIG drawing pad and asked to draw pictures in front of a ticket-wielding crowd, if the number an artist chooses matches ticket number, then they win the art. But see, i didn't 'get' the whole, ahem, 'high-concept' of the event, i thought the idea was like having a race; the first artist who finishes his drawing is the champ, sorta thing. So Staz Johnson, and Bucky are only part way thru their skillfully rendered mini-masterpieces, and I've done three!

So, my apologies to the winners of my scribbles, and yes, little brain damaged Timothy, your 5 year old cousin CAN do better!

But i had a good laugh, violated the sacred image of a few Marvel characters, and got a little Rolf 'Can-you-see-what-it-is-yet?' Harris buzz on.

I didn't manage to meet/find half the people i wanted to, but among the blurring moments, myself and Suzanne went to lunch with Bucky and cheeky wife, Irma. We are now converted to the drool-bucket filling delight of WAGAMAMA.

And the rest, was mostly a series of tooing and froings, pushing and shovings, with me, John and Leah, even getting lost on our way to do our signing.

I also shared a pint with my new editor Alexander Finbow(sorry i helped you miss your earlier train), a lovely chap with big ambition and big plans for his new comics line, and one of its first titles is the Alan Grant scripted Channel Evil . More on that soon.

I DIDN'T get to buy a copy of David Hitchcock's Gothic, a newspaper-sized beauty. Rush over to Dave and feast your eyes and open your wallet at; http://www.blackboar.co.uk/

Finally, thanks to all who came to the signing, and my apologies to anyone i missed. A real big sorry to my mate Gary Crutchley, who wasted time trying to find me, when i was in a restaurant stuffing my face. And although Gary's got nothing to sell(only bottled souls!)he has finally got down with the kids and started a blog, and most splendid it is;http://gcrutchley.blogspot.com/. He likes to hide his talents in a quiet lonesome corner, go visit and make friends.